"The appointment of Sévérin Tchounkeu will not get cheers from the SNJC"

During a press conference in Douala on 11 June 2015, the office of the union, the most representative of the press sector in Cameroon already suspected the imminent appointment of Tchounkeu already and signaled their disapproval.

A decree of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Philemon Yang on Friday, July 3, 2015, appointed Tchounkeu Severin, owner of News Corps, La Nouvelle Expression at the head of the National Commission for issuing of Press card.

This designation will certainly not surprise the members of the National Union of Journalists of Cameroon (SNJC), including its president, Denis Nkwebo which, during a press conference in Douala, Thursday, June 11, 2015, was already preparing his colleagues for this eventuality. "The Minister of Communications is preparing to appoint one of his friends, a Publishing Director of a private daily," he had said, before threatening.

"The SNJC and its members will accept only the issue of the Joint Commission for issuance of the press card, composed of representatives of journalists and representatives of publishers and media sponsors. This is what we want," he said.

He also announced a series of field activities of the union, from the 3 July 2015. It is curious that a date was chosen by the chief of Government to announce the appointment of the Patron of Equinoxe Radio and Television at the head of this structure.

In view of the above, an output of the leaders of the main union of the press sector, to rebel against this act of Philemon Yang, would be anything but a surprise. After the members of the National Communication Council (CNC), Denis Nkwebo and his comrades did not act for several months, no doubt that the new head of national commission for issuing press cards will now be another prime target.